Light incontinence, i.e. a leakage of small amounts of urine, is a disability which is generally hidden and which causes sufferers to involuntarily leak urine. Although referred to as light incontinence in terms of the amount of urine leakage, it does not mean that the discomfort experienced by the person affected is insignificant. Furthermore, it is well known that the problem and its causes are different between men and women. Many men who suffer from prostate problems also suffer from light incontinence. For instance, many men who have had prostate operations have encountered problems with light incontinence.
Light incontinence is more common amongst women than amongst men, which means that incontinence guards for women are better known and there are more variants to choose from. Furthermore, the incontinence guards intended for women are customized to the female anatomy which means that these are by no means suitable for the male anatomy. Thus, due to the anatomical differences between men and women, and the differences in the nature of the incontinence, incontinence guards have been specially designed for male users.
One such incontinence guard is known from WO-A-91/07155 disclosing the features defined in the preamble of claim 1. In such an incontinence guard, elastics are fixed to a back sheet and/or a top sheet making up a chassis. The elastics are arranged between a longitudinal side edge of an absorbent core sandwiched between the back sheet and the top sheet and an outer edge of side flaps (side barriers) arranged outside the core and formed by at least the back sheet. The elastics extend parallel to the longitudinal side edge of the absorbent core and the outer edge of the side flaps and are pre-stretched primarily for curving the incontinence guard and particularly the absorbent core so as to adapt the shape of the guard to the anatomy of a male user. In the curved state, the guard adopts the shape of a bowl. In addition and because of the bending or curvature of the absorbent core, the side flaps will be upstanding in relation to the absorbent core.
Yet, it has been found by the present inventors that, although such a male incontinence guard, because of the bowl shape and the upstanding side flaps, is satisfying in regard of leakage proofness, leakage may occur even along the portions in which the side flaps are upstanding.
Further, WO-A-91/07155 discloses the possibility to remove material from the absorbent core in order to increase a distance between the outer edge of the side barriers and the side edge of the absorbent core to provide for higher sealing barriers. Yet, this, on the one hand, is disadvantageous as material is removed from the absorbent core reducing absorbency in an area where it is needed most. On the other hand, even if the barriers are higher, removing material from the absorbent core may lead to the side barriers being inclined away from the absorbent core in this area, not encapsulating the scrotum as well as desired.
Moreover, the guard of WO-A-91/07155 may be manufactured as shown in FIG. 4b. That is, the guards are manufactured in a continuous production line with a web running in a machine direction MD as indicated in FIG. 4b. The apexes of the triangular base shape of two consecutive guards face each other in the machine direction with a distance inbetween them. Hence, the area of the continuous web being transported in the machine direction between the facing legs 71 of two consecutive guards and the longitudinal side edges 72 of the web parallel to the machine direction represent waste material W. It is an aim to reduce the waste material to a minimum.
Furthermore, an absorbent article is known from WO-A-95/31164 in which elastics in the mid-portion of the guard define an outwardly convex curved path and are connected in the end portions of the guard separated by a mid-portion to the absorbent core. The latter connection is required for providing the guard with the intended bowl shape whereas the further intends to draw up the side edges of the guard for preventing lateral leakage. However, because of the elastics in the end portions being connected to the core, the side edges of the guard do not stand up as well as intended. In addition and particularly with respect to the connection of the elastics in the top end portion, problems exist that the edges outward of the elastic fold inward limiting product function and comfort. In this context, bowl shaping especially in the top end portion of the guard is not desired.